Air drainage system for buildings



AIR DRAINAGE SYSTEM FOR BUILDINGS Original Filed Dec. 21, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet l Inventor fiaijeffz'bky, as" 54 i R. cs. SIBLEY 2,034,995 V R. G SIBLEY 2,034,995

AIR DRAINAGE SYSTEM FOR BUILDINGS Original Filed Deb. 21, 1934 2 Sheets-Shet 2 40 Q X 74/ Q Invento'r ZafieffAfSZ/aZeg,

Patented Mar. 24, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application December 21, 1934, Serial No. 758,669 Renewed February 7, 1936 3 Claims.

This invention relates to air drainage systems for buildings and particularly for dwellings, and homes.

The main object of the invention is to provide 5 a universal air drainage system whereby the air is drained by suction working with gravity from the floor level of buildings, which air is passed out through metal casings and conductor pipes to the outside of buildings and dissipated or discarded.

By draining the air from the floor level there is assured the automatic replacement of the displaced air with warmer, purer air in winter and results in evener distribution of heat provided by any of the conventional heating systems because the hot ceiling air moves inevitably to take the place of the colder air steadily and continuously as the air is moved from the floor level by the present system, whereas in warm weather this continuous movement of air will result in greater comfort during the summer.

In winter and summer the intake of fresh outdoor air to the building will be controlled so as to secure the best results. Independent sources of fresh air are to be supplied at the time of installation of the system or may be controlled during the operation of the system. The drainage system of the present invention is directed particularly to removing the air on the floor level which makes possible the automatic replacement of the cold air by warmer air from the heating system in the winter time or cooler fresher air in the summer time because cold air is denser and heavier than warmer air.

Cold air seeks the floor level and there remains until forced by energy to seek a new level. The idea of utilizing these facts forms the gist of the present invention and the sheet metal casings and leader pipes provide the passage while the motor and fan forms the energy unit which carries off the cold air through the casings and passages.

Another feature of this invention is the provision of a system adaptable to all buildings, old or new, thereby securing conditions conducive to health, comfort and economies especially during the winter months while surmner comfort is also made possible and actual.

The air drainage system of the present invention may be installed singly for buildings of one floor, or coupled together perpendicularly for buildings of two or more floors. Moreover several separate installations may be made on one building in order to secure the desired result and the metal work may be placed on the outside of the building where it is least conspicuous.

A further object of the invention is to provide an air drainage system of the character referred to that is strong, compact and durable, thorough- 5 1y efiicient and reliable for its intended purpose, that requires very little repair and that is comparatively inexpensive to manufacture and install.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists of a novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more specifically described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein is disclosed an embodiment of the invention, but it is to be understood that changes, variations and modifications may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the claims hereunto appended.

In the drawings wherein like reference characters denote corresponding parts throughout the several views:

Figure 1 is a vertical section through a building showing an adaptation of the drainage system of the present invention applied to two floor levels.

Figure 2 is a horizontal section taken substantially on line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary elevation of the outside wall of a building showing the arrangement of the system on the outside.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary elevation of a Wall of the building from the inside of a room in the building illustrating the entrance to the casing.

Figure 5 is a modification of the drainage system showing an alternative method of getting rid of the floor air through outlet and cellar or basement, when the wall outlet is not feasible which modification is accessory to main claim.

It is well known that cold air in the room of a building on different floor levels has a tendency to hang to the fioor level making the ceilings of the rooms hot in summer and the fioor uncomfortably cold in the winter. To eliminate this objectionable feature in buildings, there is provided in the present invention a drainage system. In the drawings, A indicates a building in which I have arranged my drainage system. The building A has an outside wall In and to illustrate the invention I have shown the system applied to the two floor levels, which floors are indicated at H and I2. At about the fioor level II the outside wall It] is provided with an opening 13, ilivhile there is a similar opening M for the floor Conformably fitting in the opening in the wall is a casing B formed of sheet metal, and for the opening I4 there is a similar casing indicated at C. Each casing. is formed of sheet metal and is constructed in a similar manner and it is believed that a description of the one casing will serve to teach the construction of the other.

Selecting the casing B for description, this casing is disposed in the opening I3 in the wall I so that the forward end I5 is flush with the inside of the wall I0. It will be understood that each of the casings are disposed so that the bottom of the casing will be flush with the floors II and I2. The front or forward wall I5 is pro-' Vided with an opening I6 over which the upper portion of the opening is screened by a reticulated metal I! secured at its upper end and sides to the front wall I5. The lower edge of the screen I'I terminates above the floor to provide an unscreened opening I8. The sheet metal front or forward wall I5 is provided with an opening I9 to receive an electrical conductor wire that supplies electricity to the fan motor as will be hereafter described. In addition to the conductor wire opening I 9 the front wall I5 is provided with a plurality of other openings 20.

The bottom wall 2I of the casing slopes downwardly adjacent the rear end and merges with a section 22 of the sheet metal leader pipe indicated generally at D. The top wall 23 of each casing slants downwardly adjacent the rear end. Each casing has a portion 24 which constitutes the rear wall of the casing and this rear wall is on the outside of the building wall I0. On the portion of the top wall 23 that extends outside of the building is an upstanding sheet metal nipple 25. On the uppermost casing for the top floor of the building a cap 26 is used to close the opening in this nipple which opening leads to the inside of the casing. In the casing for the lower floor levels the lower ends of the sheet metal leaders 21 are mounted on the nipple 25 as will be understood by referring to Figure l of the drawings. The leader section 21 for the lower levels is joined to the lower end of leader section 22 as at 28. Where the section 22 is joined to the upper end of section 21 the mouth flares inwardly as at 29 thereby providing a' restricted opening between leader section 22 and leader section 21.

In each casing adjacent the nipples 25 is a downwardly and outwardly slanting baffle plate 30 which forces the air going through the casing to flow downwardly and at the same time to impede progress of updraft currents while the system is not in operation. Each leader section 22 leading from the bottom of the casings is formed with an outwardly and downwardly slanting baffle 3I slightly above the flared mouth of the sections 22 that lead from the bottom of the casings. This baflle 3I impedes the progress of the updraft in the leaders when the system is not in operation. The bottom of 29 to be screened to prevent vermin and rodents from entering the building.

To cause the circulation of the air from the floor levels on the respective floors II, I2 I provide a fan of suitable design, 32 journaled to a m0tor,33 which motor is carried by the brackets 34 and the brackets are secured at their outer ends to the side walls of the casing. The bottom periphery of the fan is slightly above opening I8. The blades 34 of the fan 32 are arranged so that when the air is sucked into the casing from the floor level the air will follow the path of the arrows shown in Figure 1 of the drawings.

' direction of the arrows.

The sectional leaders D are secured to the outside face of the wall ID by metallic straps 35. It will thus be seen that I have provided a system for draining air from the floor level of a building having casings and conformably fitting in openings in the outside wall I0 and providing these casings with the sectional leaders D which carry the air drained from the floor level by the fan 32 down the leader.v The bottom of the leader may be opening directly in the air on the outside of the building. Installations are to be made weather and vermin proof.

In Figure 5 of the drawings I have shown a system whereby air may be circulated from the floor level 40 through a sheet metal leader M in the The end of the leader 4| may be connected to a chimney flue within the building. In the conductor M I mount a fan similar in all respects to the fan 32. In this event the air is drawn directly from the floor level perpendicularly downward, whereas in the form previously described, air is withdrawn horizon tally. When the fan is thus used the floor air is passed through the cellar or basement to out-ofdoors as is most feasible under existing conditions.

The basic facts and principles on which application for patent is based:--(1) Cold air is denser and heavier than warm. (2) Two bodies cannot occupy the same space at the same time. 3) Cold air, like water, seeks its own level and there remains until forced by applied energy to seek a new level through outlet D-down and out. Idea-get rid of cold heavy floor air at floor level by means of metal and motor, through wall or floor outlet, drainage. Automatic replacement, with controlled leaks, and arranged intake of fresh air, solves problem of proper movement of indoor air. Result, universal, eflicient, low cost, controlled, year-round air-drainage system, and end to stagnation.

This invention is designed to take care of the expelling the lower heavy-foul air, while leaving the ventilating systems to provide for disposal of lighter bad odors and gases. No con;

supported on the outside of the building wall and connected with the casings to carry off air from the casings, and a fan in the casing for draining the cold air from the floor level into the casings, and out-oi-doors.

2. The combination with a building including an outer wall formed with an opening for each floor, a casing in the openings in the outer wall each casing disposed in the opening with a part thereof on the floor level, said part having an opening on the floor level, a sectional leader pipe supported on the ouside of. the building wall'and connected with the casings to carry off air from the casings, and a fan in the casings for draining the cold air from the floor level into the casings, and downwardly slanting baflle plates in the leaders to resist the updraft in the leader pipes.

3. The combination with a building including an outer wall formed with an opening for each floor, a casing in the openings in the outer wall, each casing disposed in the opening with a part thereof on the floor level, said part having an opening on the floor level, a sectional leader pipe supported on the ouside of. the building wall and connected with the casings to carry ofi air from the casings, and a fan in the casings for draining the cold air from the floor level into the casings, and downwardly slanting baffle plates in the leaders to resist the updraft in the leader pipes, and a portion of the casing extending on the outside of the building wall formed with an upstanding nipple adapted to receive leader sections.

ROBERT G. SIBLEY. 

